Introducing Hope
by Lynn Jones
Summary: Hope Tovinia is the only one who can save her cousin Liraz, and the technorganic femme Liraz is fighting to save. how can she get into the Autobot base in time? One-shot, tie-in to Desert Sunrise.


**Okay, this comes between chapters 7 and 8 of Desert Sunrise. I'm introducing two new characters: Hope Tovinia and Felis Prime. Basically, around the same time Ratchet thought to call Liraz to help with Riella, Ironhide met these two.**

**Disclaimer: I own Hope, Felis, and the planet they come from. Riella belongs to T'Reilani, and I still haven't figured out how to get ownership of the Transformers away from Hasbro. Shoot.**

**Just a tip: Heer-olde is pronounced Here-all-duh.**

(General POV)

Ironhide paced along the perimeter of the Autobots' base. He was thinking about what all he had told Nightbeat. Which was everything, actually. And Nightbeat had believed him, and set right to work hacking into some apparently intriguing databases. Ironhide shook his head. Nightbeat had believed him. Maybe spending so much time with Liraz made him more open to claims of what she could do. Maybe Nightbeat thought she could do anything.

"You're an Autobot, right?" an unfamiliar voice asked softly. Ironhide glared around. No sign of whoever had spoken. Had he imagined it? "Have you seen an orange girl?" Immediately, Ironhide's thoughts went to Liraz.

"Who are you? _Where_ are you?" he added angrily. He didn't like it when he couldn't tell who – or what – was talking to him.

"My name is Hope. I'm looking for a Heer-oldec Cadet. Have you seen her?" now Ironhide had pinpointed where the voice was coming from: a pile of steel beams that were supposed to be for an addition to the base. Or, rather, the voice was coming from behind the steel beams.

"Show yourself," Ironhide ordered. A small, orange-skinned woman who looked just a few years older Liraz – and resembled her fairly closely – stepped out from behind the beams. "Who are you?"

"I am Master Herald Hope Tovinia," she answered easily. The big black mech regarded her for a long moment.

"Do you know who Cero is?" he asked without thinking. She blinked.

"Yes. Master Herald Cero Lotiv was our mentor back on Heer-olde. He is responsible for the crimes Liraz was convicted of – namely, murdering you, Ironhide," she told him. He was stunned.

"How do you know my name?" he demanded. To his surprise, a large silver lioness stalked out from behind the stack of steel beams to stand beside the Herald.

"Of course I would recognize the mech who was supposedly murdered by my Herald's cousin," the lioness purred. Ironhide stumbled backwards.

"What the Pit?" he yelled.

"Ironhide, meet Felis Prime, my companion. We work together to hunt rogue Heralds – like Cero. I take it since you know his name that Liraz has successfully made contact with you?" Hope said cheerfully. Ironhide nodded slowly.

"Why are you looking for her?" he inquired warily.

"Cero is hunting her, and I'm afraid he may attack Autobots in hopes of drawing her out," she sighed. "I want to warn her before that happens – and maybe she'll let me help her prove her innocence." Ironhide considered the little orange technorganic and her metallic-furred companion for a long moment. Then he nodded to himself.

_::Ironhide to Nightbeat.::_

_ ::Nightbeat here. Go ahead, Ironhide,::_ the detective replied. He sounded odd…distracted…worried.

_::I just found another Herald. She says her name is Hope Tovinia, and that she needs to warn Liraz that their old mentor, Cero, might be planning to attack Autobots to draw Liraz out,::_ Ironhide told him.

_::A little late for that. Riella just came in. It's…bad. Liraz is trying to save her.::_ No wonder Nightbeat sounded distracted, Ironhide reflected. He was starting to feel a little distracted himself.

_::Trying to save her how?::_ he demanded.

_::By fighting him mentally for her spark,::_ Hope broke in to the conversation.

"Ironhide, I have to get in there, now! There's no way Liraz can beat Cero on her own! He's grown too powerful!" she said out loud. Ironhide grimaced.

"All right. Follow me," he ordered.

"Hurry. And hope really, really hard that it's not too late," Felis the lioness growled.


End file.
